Boruto: Volume 1
by journal129
Summary: Deep within the Hidden Leaf Village, young ninja Uzumaki Boruto is forced to dwell in the shadow of his father, who carries sealed within him the spirit of the Nine Tailed Fox. Always referred to as the Hero's son, now Boruto battles alongside his teammates Uchiha Sarada, Rock Chan, and his sister Uzumaki Himawari to prove to himself and everyone else that he's the greatest ninja!
1. Enter: Uzumaki Boruto!

In Konohagakure Ninja Academy...

"Today the lesson is finishing early." Aburame Shino stated. "Be good kids and head straight home. The reason we're leaving early is-"

"BYE-BYE, ABURAME-SENSEI!"

"YEAH! FINALLY OVER!"

Shino sighed. Even now, as an adult, people still took no notice of him.

Uzumaki Boruto stood up. "HEY, EVERYONE!" He shouted. Shino, eyeing the boy warily, took this opportunity to leave. The last thing he'd want was to be caught in another "Uzumaki Mess".

As the childrens' eyes fell on the blonde, a wide grin spread across his face. "Today I'll show you an amazing prank! Who's coming with me?"

From the sidelines, Uchiha Sarada straightened her glasses. Her classmate was too brash for her liking...

"Boruto, are you stupid?" Nara Shikadai criticized, pointing a finger at him as if scolding him. "Today the Gokage meeting is going to be held in our village! There'll be lots of police!"

Boruto smirked. Looking at the green-eyed boy with a sideways glance, he scoffed. "That's the point! A real shinobi can pull a prank without them even noticing! You should come too, Shikadai!"

"That's nice, but we can't." Yamanaka Inojin cut in. "The three of us InoShikaCho are going to have a lesson. My mom said we have to."

Akimichi Chocho shrugged with a smile. "Ah, sorry. I can't go. I'm going with Anko-sensei today..."

Just then, Mitarashi Anko poked her head into the classroom. "Chocho~! We're going to the dango shop, and we'll get some anmitsu!"

"Coming, Anko-sensei!"

"Hold it, fatty!" Inojin exclaimed.

Chocho smirked as she walked away. "Yeah, I'm fat. Deal with it. Peace, sucker!"

The blonde Yamanaka sighed in defeat. Boruto brightened. "No training today, then! You can come too, Inojin!"

Shikadai raised an eyebrow. "Too? No. Pranks and training are both annoying..."

Inojin facepalmed, giving a groan at his friend's blaze attitude.

~X~

Uzumaki Himawari smiled softly as she placed a bouquet of sunflowers at her second cousin's grave. She looked up at her mother. "Mom, do you think Neji-san will be happy?"

"Of course." Hyuuga Hinata said. "Your name means sunflower, so I'm sure he'll love it."

Himawari gave a small giggle. "Next time, I want to come with my brother."

~X~

"3405! 3406! 3407!"

Rock Lee and his son, Chan, did walking handstands, but the latter was having a little trouble keeping up with his father. His "steps" were a bit shaky, and sweat was pouring down his face. "D-dad!"

Lee smiled. "You're doing so well, Chan! We're almost there!" He encouraged. "Come on! For YOUTH!"

Chan nodded. "Youth!" He cheered, finding new strength to continue.

~X~

Tenten sighed from her seat behind the counter. Shuriken, kunais, and various weapons lined the walls, dusty from disuse. The kunoichi leaned boredly on her elbow. "I can't sell much...lately the world is too peaceful..." She looked at the window. "But you know, the world's gonna got through it again. Peace never lasts very long." She stood up, taking a kunai off the wall and walking out the door, flipping the shop sign so it showed "closed". She smiled lightly, heading for the Konoha training grounds. "I'd better practice."

~X~

Boruto glared at the ground, kicking a rock, hands in his pockets. "Tsk! In the end, no one came! Bunch of cowards..."

Sarada, behind a lampost, eyed him suspiciously, analyzing him.

How could a boy like him expect help in a prank that would definitely result in disaster? He really WAS a moron...

~X~

"Mom, I'm home. Tell Ino-san that my stomach hurts..." Shikadai said as he walked through the door. When he looked into the room, however, his eyes widened.

"Welcome back...I see you've grown." Gaara, the Godaime Kazekage, said. His hair was neatly brushed, and he sat at a table, having tea with his sister, Temari.

"Oh, uncle Gaara...so you stopped by?" Shikadai said dully.

Temari scowled. "Shikadai, greet him properly!"

"Yeah, yeah, mom. Where's uncle Kankuro?"

As if on cue, Kankuro walked in. "Gaara, we should be going."

"Eh?!" Shikadai exclaimed. "But you just got here!"

"Sorry, kid." Kankuro said, ruffling the boy's hair. "Gaara's got to attend the Gokage meeting. I'll come back to show you after."

Temari crossed her arms. "Show him? Show him what, ototo?"

Kankuro winced at the title. "I'm a grown man now, Temari. Stop calling me that!"

"Only when you answer me!"

"It's a secret for the two of us."

"Fine, fine. O~to~to~chan..."

~X~

Inuzuka Kiba smiled, sitting beside his girlfriend on his back porch. They were polar opposites- he was a dog trainer, she was a cat lover -but that only brought them together. Akamaru didn't seem to mind the kittens in close proximity, either. "It's kinda like that, yeah." Kiba said. "The Rokudaime Hokage quit...on his own." He grinned slyly. "People say that smart hawks hide their claws...well, smart shinobi hide their fangs! Right, Akamaru?"

Akamaru, not at all the lively young puppy he used to be, merely gave a tired yawn, causing his partner to sweatdrop.

Tamaki giggled. "He's tired, Kiba-kun. He's seen a lot in his life."

"Well, so have I!"

~X~

"THEY'RE LATE!"

Sai stepped back slightly as his wife yelled in frustration. "Well, today Shikamaru is with the Shichidaime..." He said, trying to calm her wrath. "He doesn't really need to be here..."

Karui crossed her arms. "Don't you think it's a bit excessive to force them to learn combinations? It's not like in the past. Besides, our kid's not that type, right dear?"

Choji sweatdropped. "Um...but, you know..."

"Karui-san..." Ino said, trying to keep her temper in check. "If you don't mind my saying, it's a secret technique of our ancestors! It might be a trivial thing for you, but it's not for us! This is the InoShikaCho legacy! And you know this peace won't last forever!"

Hiding behind a tree, Inojin sighed. "As I thought, mom is mad...I can't step out there without the other two, or I'll be the target..."

~X~

Sarutobi Hisha smiled at the picture of her father, hands together in reverence. "Bye dad. I'm going now." She said, before walking into the living room.

Yuhi Kurenai looked up from the laundry she was folding. "You're going to be late!" She said, worry evident on her aged face. "Aren't you supposed to escort the Shichidaime today?"

"No." Hisha said. "Today I'm going to escort the predecessor. I don't have to leave early."

"Ah. Kakashi?"

"And Gai-san! I'll be away for two or three days. Love you!"

~X~

"Kakashi, is it alright for you to not accompany him?" Maito Gai asked, sipping a cup of tea from his spot in his wheelchair.

Hatake Kakashi shrugged. "Yeah. He's already a good successor. Seniors like us shouldn't butt in on his limelight." He smiled underneath his mask."I already quit my job as Hokage. I want to take a Nostalgic tour. What about you?"

Gai smirked. "Do you remember the place we first fought at? That was certainly long ago...I want to visit there."

~X~

"Sorry...due to me not moving...we can't do a proper ex-gokage meeting." Onoki apologized. Due to his current frailty of health, he was unable to go to Konoha for the meeting, and had instead asked that the ex-kages meet in Iwagakure.

A looked at the old man with a smirk. "You're quite weak, Onoki."

"Well, this is just a simple meeting, where we drink and complain together." Senju Tsunade cut in, she and Terumi Mei looking as young as ever thanks to Tsunade's anti-age jutsu.

Mei frowned. "I'll complain about the scarcity of nice men again." She huffed.

"Oho!" Onoki chuckled. "Now, how is Kumogakure?"

~X~

The waterfal roared down the cliffside, where Killer B sat, meditating. He sighed. "I should go meet with Naruto once in a while. Spending all my time here is not my style." He rapped.

Gyuki growled from his subconscious. "He's in a busy position now. He's not playing around like you."

~X~

A fast-paced clicking was heard in the office of the Shichidaime Hokage. Fingers tapped a keyboard, by which empty ramen cups stood, still warm from when their contents were cooked.

"Isn't it time?" Shizune asked.

Nara Shikamaru tapped the desk. "Hey, let's go. I received notice that the people from the villages are already here."

Just then, the door burst open, and Moegi and Udon rushed into the office. "Shichidaime! There's an issue!"

Shikamaru frowned. "What is it, Udon and Moegi? We're about to go to the meeting. Can't it wait until later?"

Udon stepped forward. "But we can't show this to the other villages!"

"So..." The new Hokage said, standing up. "I guess...Boruto did something again?"

~X~

Onlookers gathered at the base of the Hokage mountainside, yelling at a young blonde with a bucket of paint. He hung with a rope tied around his waist, currently defacing his father's monument. On the first Hokage head, he'd written baka. On the second, stupid. On the third, perv, in memory of a story he'd been told about his father and a certain gender-changing jutsu. On Tsunade's head, he'd written hag. He'd drawn the lips of cod roe over Kakashi's mask, and was in the process of painting a skull and crossbones with the word "Ahoy" on the final head. "Hag...geezer...perv...stupid...idiot..." Boruto said as he painted. "I HATE HOKAGES, DATTEBASA!"

The crowd below him was steadily growing. He smirked, and threw the paint can. "Heh...dad's gonna come soon..." He pulled out a shuriken, preparing to make a stunning entrance, when a hand grabbed his wrist.

"CUT IT OUT, BORUTO, DATTEBAYO!" Naruto shouted.

Boruto glared. "It's unfair to use shunshin no jutsu- OW!"

"Shut up!"

The boy's father pounded him with a sharp punch to the head. Naruto crossed his arms, standing sideways on the cliffside. He pulled his Hokage cloak closer to him. "Dad's going to have an important meeting. You'll clean up this mess now, won't you?"

Boruto glared at his father, pouting. "...Then help me do it!"

Naruto paused, quiet for a second, before grabbing his son and jumping to the top of the statues to start cleaning.

Down below, two onlookers in particular noticed the actions of the Hokage and his son.

"Again, Boruto?!" Konohamaru shouted. "Why would he do this on such an important day?!"

An older man chuckled. "Don't be so angry. His father is always busy, and he's looking for ways to have him pay attention to him."

Konohamaru looked over his shoulder. "You're always too kind, Iruka-san..."

Iruka smiled. "One day he'll understand too. We must be patient until then. You're still a jonin in the end, Konohamaru."

Naruto, on top of the statue, knelt in front of his son, eye-to-eye. "Boruto...you know, all the people in the village are like family to me. Sometimes, I can't be just your father, dattebayo."

Boruto looked down, silent. The Hokage ruffled his hair. "I know it's hard for you, too...but you need to learn to endure it. Because you're a ninja too, right?"

"...right..."

"The Genin exams are tomorrow. You'll make me proud then, alright? I promise, once you pass, you and I'll go out for ramen. M'kay?"

Boruto nodded. "If you're not there...I won't forgive you, Tou-san, dattebasa." He said, a small smirk creeping onto his face.

"It's a deal." Naruto said. He hugged his son. "Now, let's go down. I'll have Konohamaru get you some soap. If you clean it fast enough, you can have a whole bag of chichi dango to yourself."

"Really?!"

"Ninja's honor, dattebayo!"

Naruto picked Boruto up and jumped down, only to be greeted by the furious shouts of Konohamaru.

"BORUTO! I saw that shuriken in your left hand! Just what do you think your father's job is?! How can you show such blatant disrespect?!"

Boruto blinked confusedly. "Why are you here, Konohamaru-sensei?"

Konohamaru was fuming. "WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!"

Naruto chuckled to himself. 'Oh, Konohaaru...' He thought to himself. 'You used to do the same with the Sandaime in the past...oh well...'

Above on a balcony, Uchiha Sarada looked down at the scene unfolding. She frowned.

She knew it would turn out like this.

Turning around, she walked into her house. "I'm home."

Haruno Sakura, who had been dusting a bookshelf, looked at her daughter. "Oh. Hello, Sarada."

"...Mom..." Sarada started. "Guys are really...stupid..."

"Was it Boruto again?" The pink-haired woman sweatdropped.

The dark-haired girl paused, then smirked, straightening her glasses. "Actually...he resembles me a little. As for dad, though...he's smart. In fact, the only word for him is shannaro!"

~X~

Uchiha Sasuke walked through Konoha forest, senses on alert. He couldn't shake the premonition that something bad was about to happen.

He felt a sense of foreboding, and grabbed his katana, turning around only to find nothing there. He frowned. "Just my imagination...?"

~X~

"Sorry for being late!"

The kages- Rokudaime Mizukage Chojuro, Yondaime Tsuchikage Kurotsuchi, Godaime Raikage Darui, and Godaime Kazekage Gaara- all turned to see Naruto, the Shichidaime Hokage, at the door.

Kurotsuchi raised an eyebrow. "I came all the way here on time, and you, who actually LIVES in this village, are late?"

"Indeed. Jeez..." Chojuro muttered.

"Don't take it seriously." Darui said. "We know very well that we're all busy. Cut him some slack."

Gaara sighed. "Let's quit the personal chat and get on with the meeting, Hokage."

"Alright! I'll start the Gokage meeting, dattebayo!"

~X~

Far away from all the peaceful happenings in Konohagakure, a lone figure stood at the edge of Hi no Kuni, the Land of Fire. She smirked.

"It's high time I repay my debts...Hokage."

Pearl eyes gleamed sinisterly.


	2. My Name is Himawari!

~Come on!~

~Owareru youni~

~Isoi de iru~

~Kawari ta mune ga~

~Kari tateru no sa~

~Dare no koto de naku~

~Dare no sei de naku~

~Ore tachi no ima wo~

~Itami hodoki~

~Kokoro hodoki~

~Kage o hodoki~

~Iki no tsunete~

~Hashiri nukero~

~Yami o saite~

~Kana shimu koto mo~

~Yume o miru koto mo~

~Owari wa shinai~

~On the way!~

~I wanna ROCKS!~

~Mune ni ROCKS!~

~X~

"Himawari! Get up, imoto!"

Himawari sighed. "Boruto, I'm only younger than you by three minutes..."

The blonde frowned. "You're still littler than I am. It's graduation day! Come on, dattebasa!" He jumped on her bed. "Wake up! You can't skip school again to go see Neji-san's grave!"

"Fine, fine, I'm up..." She said, sitting up and stretching.

Boruto crossed his arms. "Pop quiz!"

"Wha...?!"

"You remember how many times dad failed when he was our age? We're both passing. Today. Together." Boruto grabbed his sister's hand and pulled her out of bed.

Himawari staggered to her feet, yawning and rubbing her eyes. "Fine...what do you want?"

"First, kage bunshin."

The kunoichi-to-be sighed. Making a clone seal with her hands, she murmured "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu."

A perfect-looking, equally tired clone appeared next to her. Boruto walked up and poked its forehead. His finger connected with solid flesh, and he nodded in approval. "Alright. It's stable."

Himawari dissipated the clone. "Anything else...?"

"How's your by-"

"It's fine, and you know that they won't be testing that."

"...true. Henge?"

She rolled her eyes, made a handseal,and focused her chakra. "Henge." She instantly transformed into the perfect image of her mother. She crossed her arms. "Good enough?"

Boruto inspected her for a full minute, seeing if every detail was perfect. He gave her a thumbs up, and she dispelled the jutsu. "Anything else?" She asked.

"Kawarimi!"

"Uh..." Himawari raised an eyebrow. "With what?"

The blonde looked around the room. "Hmm..." Suddenly, he spotted it. "There!" He shouted, pointing to a pillow.

Himawari nodded. "Kawarimi no Jutsu!" She said, vanishing in a puff of smoke, the pillow in her place. Boruto looked at the bed, only to see his sister snuggled in the blankets, having used the substitution jutsu to get herself there. "Ah, peace at last..." She murmured, falling asleep again.

"WHAT?! GET UP, DATTEBASA!"

"Go train yourself...I wanna sleep some more..."

Boruto huffed. "Fine. Be that way." And with that, he stalked out of the room.

The young Uzumaki girl smiled, slipping into slumber once more, only for the curtains to be thrown open and blinding light to disturb her momentary sanctuary.

"Wake up, Himawari! It's morning, dattebayo!"

"Why me...?"

~X~

Himawari rubbed her eyes sleepily as she sat at her desk in class. Sure, it was graduation day. Sure, she SHOULD be excited. But more often than not, "should" and "are" are two separate things.

As she began to nod off again, a light elbow to her side snapped her back to the conscious world.

"Hey, wake up. I'm supposed to be the lazy one here."

Himawari opened her eyes, only to find herself leaning on her classmate, Shikadai. She jumped back to her seat. "G-gomen'nasai, Shikadai-kun...!" She stammered. "My brother woke me up and-"

"Eh, forget about it." Shikadai said, giving her a small smile. "Boruto's annoying. I sympathize with you."

"Yeah...he is..." She muttered, thinking back to that morning. Sometimes she wished she had Uchiha Sarada's ability to punch people into walls. Then, she could finally get her twin off her tail.

"Alright class." Shino called out, straightening his visor. "I'll call you up one by one, and you'll each display Bunshin no Jutsu. If you can make two clones or more, you pass. If not, you fail, and will be held back another year."

Across the room, Rock Chan gulped. His father having no chakra ability whatsoever, he himself had difficulty executing jutsus. He crossed his fingers, hoping desperately that he would be able to pull through, and win over his beautiful leaf...

"First up- Yamanaka Inojin."

Inojin stood up and walked forward, standing in front of the class. He sweatdropped. 'Why are they all staring...? I'm not that interesting...' Forming the clone seal, he called out. "Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Three clones of Inojin appeared in puffs of smoke. He bowed, and the clones dissipated, before the boy returned to his seat.

"Uchiha Sarada."

Sarada straightened her glasses. With a smirk, she strode forward, standing properly in front of the class. Apparently, the pride of the Uchihas flowed strongly through her veins.

Himawari frowned. 'I don't like her...'

"Bunshin no Jutsu."

Instantly, ten Sarada clones appeared behind her. She gave a nod to Shino, and the clones vanished. Boruto gave her a thumbs up as she walked back to the two of theirs table, and she looked away slightly, murmuring a thank you.

And all the while, Himawari could only focus on how stuck-up and prissy she came across.

"Uzumaki Boruto."

"Alright! My turn, dattebasa!" Boruto cheered, vaulting over his table and sprinting down the isle to stand in front of the class. "Get ready for this!" He called. "KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!"

Boruto shadow clones flooded the front of the classroom, a few of them hanging off the rafters.

Himawari groaned and put her face in her hands. "Why, Boruto...? Why must you be such a showoff...?"

"Well then..." Shino sweatdropped. "That's quite enough, Boruto..."

"Thank you, thank you!" The blonde called, as if he were the star of the show. The clones disappeared, and he went back to his seat.

Sarada glanced at him, straightened her glasses, and looked down at her hands. He was a dobe, that was for sure. But there was something...alluring about him. Something she couldn't explain.

"Akimichi Chocho"

The gutsy girl shrugged. "This'll be a piece of cake." She stepped forward. "I can't do shadow clones, but I ain't got any problems with this. Bunshin no Jutsu!" Three copies appeared behind her. She looked to Shino. "Good enough, Aburame-sensei?"

Shino nodded, and the bunshins vanished as Chocho took her seat.

"Rock Chan."

Chan stood up, somewhat nervous. He'd only successfully been able to make one clone in the past, and it wasn't exactly the best out there...he took his place in front of the class. 'I hope Sarada-san notices my successes, and not my failures...' He thought. Forming his hands into the clone seal, he focused his chakra. "Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Thankfully, two clones of the black-haired ninja-in-training appeared. Chan breathed a sigh of relief. He released the copious amount of chakra he was using to keep them intact, and sat down.

"Nara Shikadai."

Shikadai sighed. "This is so annoying..." He went to the front of the classroom. "Bunshin no Jutsu." Instantly, four clones appeared behind him. He nodded casually at Shino, then took his place next to Himawari, the clones vanishing.

"You were great...!" The whiskered girl whispered to him.

Shikadai shrugged. "It wasn't really a problem. As my dad would say, it's just troublesome." He said with a half smirk.

"Uzumaki Himawari."

Himawari snapped to attention, her blood going cold. There was one thing she hadn't thought to prepare for today.

Her stage fright.

She rose from her seat and took slow steps to the front of the classroom, her heart pounding. She could practically feel the eyes of her classmates staring at her, boring holes into her back, just waiting for her to trip or make a mistake and laugh at her. When she got to the front and turned around, indeed, all eyes were on her. Her thoughts raced. What would she do if she couldn't pull it off? Would she be laughed at? What would her mother think? What would her father think? What...what would her crush think of her...?"

She looked around the room, and her eyes fell on Shikadai. Rather than dosing off, like usual, he was sitting upright and attentive. This would have completely unnerved her, shattering her confidence, had he not smiled and given her an encouraging nod. She gave a tiny nod back, and closed her eyes.

'I can do this...I won't embarrass myself in front of my classmates...or in front of HIM...' Her hands formed into a seal. 'I...I need to do this!' "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Himawari stood stock-still, not daring to open her eyes. For what seemed like years, she maintained her position, paralyzed. She didn't want to see their faces. Mocking smirks, looks of disappointment, anything.

"Himawari?" Shino asked. His voice sounded somewhat worried.

"Relax. I got this." Footsteps walked up to her. "Oi, Himawari-san. Open your eyes."

She recognized the voice. It was Shikadai. She shook her head. "I don't wanna see-"

"It's fine. You passed."

"I...did?" She opened her eyes hesitantly, and turned around. Sure enough, two kage bushin, also opening their eyes in shock, stood. They were completely stable clones. Smiling, she dissipated them.

'I passed!'


	3. Chan and Sarada: Friends or Foes?

Boruto grinned, the Konoha leaf hitai-ate gleaming on his forehead. "I can't believe it, imoto!" He exclaimed. "We made it!"

Himawari sighed. "Stop calling me imoto..."

"But still!"

"Yeah...it IS cool..." She replied, fingering the hitai-ate around her neck.

The two of them walked down the street, heading to Ichiraku Ramen Shop for a good breakfast. Today was their first day as official Genin, and they wanted a nice, filling meal before they began their training.

As they entered the shop, Ayame, the current owner smiled. "Ah! The Uzumaki twins! What can I get for you? Wait, lemme guess..." She pointed to Boruto. "You want tokubetsu ramen with extra narutomaki and chashu, and..." She pointed to Himawari. "You want miso ramen with kakuni and menma, right?"

"Yep!" They chorused.

"Coming right up."

Ayame went to the back of the shop, and the Uzumaki duo sat down. Himawari dug in her pockets, pulling out two free ramen coupons.

"Oi! Uzumaki!"

Boruto and Himawari turned around to see two people standing in the doorway. Boruto grinned. "Hey guys! Come sit down!"

Daisuke and Kyo, from the Hyuuga clan, took seats on either side of the twins. "So, what's up?" Daisuke asked.

Boruto shrugged. "Not much. My sister and I were just getting breakfast before team assembly, since mom had to go for Jonin assessment."

"Ah." Kyo said. "I remember my team assembly last year. Me, Kenji, and Yuka-chan." He sighed. "I'm so glad I'm on her team..." He murmured, getting lost in another one of his daydreams.

Daisuke rolled his eyes. "Get out of dreamland Kyo. Anyways, I kinda hope I get Sakura as my team leader. Yesterday's genin exams were a bit tough, eh, Sunflower?"

Himawari sighed. "Yeah...it's just, I didn't expect to have to do it in front of so many people..."

"Hey, we're in this together, right? Maybe our teams'll enter the chuunin exams when Kyo's does!"

Kyo rolled his eyes. "You wish! There was only ONE time they let rookies like you go! And that was when Aunt Hinata was a genin!"

Boruto clenched his fists. "You just wait, Kyo! I'll make it so my team's in the chuunin exams this year, dattebasa!"

"In your dreams, little cousin."

Ayame returned with the bowls of ramen, and her eyebrows rose. "Well...two more bowls, then?"

~X~

Aburame Shino cleared his throat. "Alright, class. Starting today, all of you are real shinobi. But you are all still genin-rank. The hard journey that lies ahead has only just started. Now, you will soon be assigned missions to assist in the village's shortcomings and necessities. So today, we will create three-man teams. Each team will have a jonin-rank sensei. You will follow your sensei's instructions in order to successfully complete your missions."

'Three-man teams?' Boruto thought. 'They'll just slow me down!'

'I hope I'm on the same team as him...' Himawari blushed lightly. 'That would be a dream come true...'

Shikadai sighed. 'Three? That's so annoying...'

'I already know who I'm with...' Inojin crossed his arms, nodding to himself. 'It's me, Shikadai, and Chocho. Ino-Shika-Cho formation.'

Chocho...was munching on a bag of fried dumplings, not really caring which team she was placed in.

Chan clenched his fist. 'Yosh!' He thought, fire in his eyes. 'Now is my time to shine! Even if I'm not on Sarada-san's team, I can still show her what a great shinobi I'll have become by the chuunin exams!'

'Hmm...three man teams will be a bit cumbersome...but as long as I'm with Boruto-kun, I'll be fine.' Sarada mused.

Daisuke doodled in his book. 'I don't want to be on a team with a girl.' He thought. 'Girls always get me all jittery.'

Just then, Matsuo Ryouta, a close friend of Daisuke, raised his hand. "Erm...Aburame Sensei?" He asked. "How will the teams be selected?"

Shino turned his attention to the teal-haired individual. "It was the Council's choosing. They evaluated your individual skills, and tried to place you in teams that would equal out in strength." He pulled out a clipboard. "I'll announce the teams, then inform you as to where you'll meet your sensei. Team One- Matsubo Shinobu, Sakamoto Akinori, Onoda Raicho."

The three shinobi in question smiled and high-fived each other. Boruto didn't know them personally, but they looked like good friends.

"Team Two- Iijima Hisaki, Tsukioka Shinkichi, Kawagichi Nayoko."

Iijima Hisaki moved to be closer to his two teammates. Nayoko, however, crossed her arms and turned away from Shinkichi. Boruto could only guess why.

"Team Three- Shimada Toson, Yoshihama Masafumi, Kawatake Ise."

Ise rose to her feet. "Aburame-sensei, why do I have to be with Toson?!"

"Hey..." Toson muttered. "You don't have to be like that..."

The next few teams blew by rather quickly. Until team six, that is.

"Team Six- Hyuuga Daisuke, Matsuo Ryouta, Uzumaki Himawari."

Daisuke and his friend fistbumped, but Himawari sighed. 'I guess I'm not on his team, huh...?' She picked up her things and went to sit next to her cousin.

"Hey, Sunflower!" Daisuke cheered. "We're teammates! How cool is that?!"

"Pretty cool, Daisuke."

"Team Seven-" Shino continued. "Rock Chan, Uzumaki Boruto, and Uchiha Sarada."

Sarada's eyes widened. She straightened her glasses, and glanced at Boruto. Inwardly, however, she was freaking out.

[Inner Sarada]: SHANNARO! I'm on Boruto-kun's team!

"So, we're teammates, huh Sarada?" The blonde asked.

Sarada folded her hands neatly. "Hn."

Rock Chan jumped to his feet, running to sit next to Sarada. He was going to say something to her, but he knew full well of his father's reputation as an intense person, and was going to strive to be as calm and collected around her as possible. He didn't want to weird her out. 'Chan, get ahold of yourself.' He chided mentally. 'She's not going to disappear in the next minute. You'll likely be around her for the next few years. Calm down.'

"Team Eight- Yamanaka Inojin, Nara Shikadai, Akimichi Chocho."

Shikadai crossed his arms. "This is so annoying...I just want to go home before Uncle Kankuro leaves..."

Shino set down the clipboard. "And that concludes the team organization. Now, to tell you where you'll each meet your team jonin."

~X~

Shikadai, Inojin, and Chocho all sat on the balcony of the ninja academy, waiting. "I wonder who our sensei'll be?" Chocho asked to nobody in particular, munching on some chichi dango.

Inojin crossed his arms. "Knowing mom, she'll have fought to be team leader...we're all doomed..."

"I wouldn't say that, Inojin." Shikadai said, looking at the door.

The other two turned around, and gasped, before smiling brightly.

Their sensei was none other than the curly-haired, red-eyed kunoichi, Sarutobi Hisha.

~X~

"So, you're Daisuke's cousin, huh?" Ryouta questioned, smirking at Himawari. "You're kinda cute."

"Back off, Ryouta!" Daisuke defended.

Ryouta laughed. "Relax, Daisuke, I'm just teasing. You know I've got my eyes on someone else."

Himawari looked at him curiously. "Who's that?"

"Hisha-chan. You know, the jonin super-genius? Daughter of Yuhi Kurenai?"

The Uzumaki raised an eyebrow. "...she's almost ten years older than you."

Ryouta turned red and huffed. "Shut up. Love knows no bounds." He said, turning away.

"Oi, none of that now! You three have got to learn to get along, so long as you're teammates and MY subordinates."

The three newbie genin turned to see a man walk over, a large, old, tired-looking dog at his side. The red marks of the Inuzuka clan were plainly visible on his face. He waved. "Sup? I'm Inuzuka Kiba, your new sensei. And this is my partner, Akamaru."

~X~

"What's taking sensei so long?!" Boruto groaned. "Seriously! This reminds me of the stories dad used to tell me about Kakashi-sama!"

Sarada rolled her eyes. "Gimme a break, Boruto-kun. Nobody could ever beat HIS record. Right, Chan-kun?"

"Yeah!" Chan piped up, happy that Sarada was paying some attention to him. "Totally!"

Boruto tapped his foot impatiently. Suddenly, an idea came to mind. "Hey, guys...when my dad first graduated with your parents, Sarada, they pulled a prank on Kakashi-sama because he was late. Why don't we do that?"

Sarada smirked. "Hn. Sounds good." Her glasses glinted in the light, giving her a sinister look.

[Inner Sarada]: WE'LL TEACH SENSEI TO BE LATE TO THE MOST IMPORTANT DAY OF OUR LIVES! SHANNARO!

Chan looked around the room. "...why don't we take the chalk eraser and put it on the doorframe? It'll fall on sensei's head!"

"Actually, that's exactly what dad's team did!"

"Let's do it, shannaro!"

Boruto pulled up a chair from the desks, and stood on top of it. "Chan! Pass me the eraser!"

"Sure thing, Boruto-kun!" Chan said, scurrying over to the blackboard and picking up the eraser, tossing it to him.

The blonde caught it with ease, and placed it on the edge of the doorframe.

Sarada leaned against the wall, and her eyes widened. "Someone's coming!" She exclaimed.

Quick as a flash, Boruto and Chan resumed their previous places sitting on the desks. Sarada, however, stood in the center of the room, arms crossed. As soon as the prank was over, she'd give her new sensei a piece of her mind.

The door opened, and the eraser fell, coating black hair with white chalk dust. The man raised an eyebrow. "This again?"

Sarada's jaw dropped.


	4. Pass or Fail: Survival Test

Sarada stared in shock. "...p-papa?!"

Uchiha Sasuke brushed the chalk dust out of his hair. "Yeah, it's me...figures I'd get the same treatment as Kakashi-sensei..."

Boruto looked between Sarada and Sasuke. "Wait...your dad, THE Uchiha Sasuke...is our SENSEI?!"

"Boruto-kun, please...you wanna make a good impression, right...?" Chan murmured, before walking up to Sasuke and bowing. "I am Rock Chan. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Sasuke-sensei."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Are you Lee's kid?"

"I am."

Sarada took this moment to run over and embrace her father. "Papa, you were gone so long! I didn't know when you'd be back! This is so cool!" She exclaimed.

"Hn." Sasuke crossed his arms. "I'll be leaving again soon if I don't have a team to run."

"What do you mean...?" Sarada asked.

"I mean that you three have to pass a test. And if you fail, you'll all be sent right back to the academy."

"EH?!" The trio chorused.

Sasuke peeled his daughter off of him, and sat on the edge of a desk. "But first thing's first, we'll have some introductions, in case you actually DO pass." He held up his hand, and counted off his fingers. "I want your name, hobbies, likes, dislikes, nindo, and dream. I'll go first." He smirked. "I'm Uchiha Sasuke, but you can call me sensei, Sasuke-sensei, Sasuke, or in Sarada's case, papa. My hobbies include kendo, training, and walking. There are many things I dislike, and not many things I like, but one of the few that I like is my daughter right here. My dream...I suppose is to train a successful team, and my nindo is that running away gets you no farther." He looked to Sarada. "Would you like to go next?"

Sarada straightened her glasses. "Um...okay. I'm Uchiha Sarada. You guys can call me Sarada, I guess...NOT salad. Call me salad, and you will die a very slow and painful death..." Her glasses glinted sinisterly.

At this, the boys sweatdropped.

"Anyways, my hobbies are reading, learning new jutsu, and designing my own. I like anmitsu, and...someone..." Sasuke raised an eyebrow at this comment. "My dislikes are Nara Shikadai and Yamanaka Inojin." Sarada huffed. "My dream is to become a medical specialist like my mother, and my nindo is mind over muscle, strategy over strength."

Sasuke eyed his daughter suspiciously. 'She likes someone, eh...? This is worth looking into...' "Alright. Blondie, you next."

Boruto grinned. "I'm Uzumaki Boruto, son of the Hokage! You can call me Bolt, Boruto, Boruto-sama, senpai, or anything else! My hobbies are eating ramen and pulling pranks, my likes are, of course, Ichiraku Ramen and hanging out with my sister, Himawari, my dislikes are mean people, barbecue, and lazy people, my dream is to surpass my father in strength, leave him in the dust, and be awesome like my uncle, Neji-san, and my nindo is that no matter what, I'm never giving up!"

"Erm..." Sasuke blinked. "...you're definitely the dobe's kid..."

"Dobe? My dad?" Boruto burst into laughter. "Oh kami, that's perfect! I gotta sic that on the old man!"

"...anyways, how about you, Chan?"

Chan nervously rubbed the back of his head. "As I said before, I'm Rock Chan, but you all can just call me Chan. My hobbies are fighting taijutsu matches and drawing. I like apples, spicy curry, and rain. I dislike the cold. My dream is to surpass my father in taijutsu, and be able to successfully perform jutsu with ease. My nindo is that putting others first allows you to build upon yourself."

The black-haired Uchiha stood up. "Well, now that that's done, follow me. Lucky for you, I won't make you wait for the test, unlike MY sensei,"

Apprehensively, the trio followed their new sensei outside.

"By the way...when did you three last eat?"

Boruto groaned. "Not since this morning...I skipped lunch..."

"Same here..." Sarada mumbled.

Chan clutched his stomach. "I as well..."

"Good."

The three genin eyed Sasuke warily. "Why...?" Sarada asked.

Sasuke smirked. "You'll see."

They made their way over to the training grounds, where three worn wooden posts stood. Chan adjusted the hitai-ate on his forehead. "What are we doing here, Sasuke-sensei?"

"You three..." Sasuke smirked. "Are going to try to fight me."

"WHAT?!" They exclaimed, thoughts racing. Them?! Face a jonin?! And not just that, an UCHIHA jonin?!

"Relax. You're fighting me, not the other way around." The Uchiha reached into his pocket and held up two silver bells. "You see these?" They nodded. "Each of you will need to try to get a bell from me. Those who succeed, pass."

"But, sensei..." Chan said hesitantly. "There's only two bells..."

"Ah, about that..." Sasuke tied the bells to his belt, in plain sight. "One of you is going to have to bite the bullet and stay behind in the academy." He smirked, crossing his arms. "And also, the winners are treated to the meal of their choice, and the loser has to sit and watch them eat while getting none." The Genin's stomachs growled as if on cue, and they looked at each other worriedly. "Now, fundamentally, ninja need to mask their presence to carry out a mission. So, I'll close my eyes and give you exactly two minutes to hide."

~X~

Naruto looked down at the training grounds from his Hokage office. He frowned. "So, Boruto's on Teme's team?" He turned towards a large filing cabinet. "Let's see...Uchiha...Uchiha Itachi...no...Shisui...Who the hell is that? Ah! Sasuke!" He pulled out a booklet. "This is the pass/fail rate of the students he's had! Perfect!" Opening it, he began to read through it.

Hosokaya Roka- FAIL

Kashiwagi Kinji- FAIL

Fukumitsu Toyozo- FAIL

Muruyama Sseken- FAIL

Hosokaya Tadasuke- FAIL

Nagase Tsuramatsu- FAIL

Shimada Ippei- FAIL

Arakida Yushiro- FAIL

Natago Toyoshige- FAIL

And the list went on. Naruto sweatdropped. "So...Boruto's in for Kakashi's test, eh...?"

~X~

Chan called Boruto and Sarada over to his spot. "Hey...! Sarada-san! Boruto-kun!" He whisper-shouted. "Over here...!"

The duo quickly darted over to the boulder Chan was hiding behind. "This had better be good, Chan." Sarada muttered.

"It is! Trust me!" Chan defended.

"Well? Spill!" Boruto demanded, struggling to keep his voice down.

Chan nodded, his fingers going to the orange scarf around his neck in an effort to loosen it. "None of us can get those bells on our own-"

"Like hell we can't!"

"Boruto-kun, Sasuke-sensei has the Sharingan, and is rumored to have the Rinnegan in one eye."

"Not only that." Sarada piped up. "He can use Chidori, summoning jutsu, and he has Eternal Mangekyo. And when papa gets into a fight, he gets serious, be it Genin or Kage."

"Fine, fine..." Boruto sighed. "What's your plan?"

Chan crossed his arms. "Considering our advantages, we should work together."

"What? But there's only two-"

"Just hear me out, Boruto-kun. You said your specialty is pranks. Naturally, you would be good at traps as well, correct?"

The blonde looked up. "Well, yeah..."

"Sarada-san, your specialty would be analysis, right?"

"Yep."

"And mine is fighting. So, here's what we'll do." Chan took a stick and began to draw in the ground. "I will charge at sensei, fighting him. While I'm doing so, Sarada-san, you calculate which place is best for a trap for Sasuke-sensei, and Boruto-kun will set up that trap. When you're finished, Boruto-kun, send a barrage of Kage Bunshin over to attack sensei, and lead him into the trap. Your job during that, Sarada-san, will be to ensure that the trap springs. After Sasuke-sensei is trapped, I will go over and retrieve the bells."

"What?!" Boruto demanded. "Why will you-"

Chan held up his hand. "I'll give up my rank...and my lunch...so that you two may succeed. My father taught me to put others first, and that is what I intend to do...lunch or no lunch..."

Just then, Sasuke uncovered his eyes.

"Two minutes is up. Come at me."


	5. You Failed! Sasuke's Final Decision

"Come at me."

The challange rang in the three genins' ears, an ominous beckoning to pain, they were sure. Regardless, true to his word, Chan sprang from behind the rock, running towards Sasuke with a yell. He aimed a punch at the black-haired nin, only to be blocked and hit with a sharp uppercut. As he fell to the ground, he spun over, landing on his feet and recovering quickly.

Sarada watched in amazement. "Whoa...he's GOOD..." Turning to the task at hand, she straightened her glasses and surveyed the area. "Boruto-kun, you see that tree over there?"

Boruto rolled his eyes. "There's tons of trees Sara-OW!" He clutched his head. "Why'd you hit me?!"

"Because you're a baka! Now we gotta hurry before papa creams Chan-kun!" She hissed. Just because she likes the guy doesn't mean he's not a moron at times. She pointed to a large tree. "Now, look at THAT tree."

"What about it?"

"Can you set a trip wire?"

Boruto scoffed. "You insult me, Sarada. Trip wires are the most basic thing in the book! What should it trigger?"

"Anything that'll temporarily blind papa."

The blonde nodded, and ran over to the tree, setting to work on the trap for the black-garbed Uchiha.

Back with Chan, the young boy was having trouble dodging Sasuke's blows. The Jonin was lightning fast, not ever missing a beat, and Chan was already sore and covered in bruises. One particularly harsh blow to his face sent him flying, blood trickling from his mouth. But still, he got up. 'Hurry, Boruto-kun, Sarada-san...' he mentally implored. 'I don't know how much longer I can hold up...'

"CHAN-KUN! DUCK!"

Hearing the call of Sarada, Chan heeded the warning and ducked, rolling out of the way as the young Uchiha ran forward. Her hands formed seals, and she chanted in her mind which ones they were in order to remember. 'Tora! Hitsuji! Saru! I! Uma! Tora!' She brought a hand to her mouth, forming a circle to blow through. "Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"

A stream of fire blew from Sarada's mouth, which was barely dodged. Sasuke smirked. "Good job, Sarada. I'm impressed that you can do that jutsu at such a young age."

"Shut up and fight, papa!"

"Hn." The older Uchiha pulled out several kunai, tossing them at his daughter. She avoided most, but one of them struck her shoulder.

"Sarada-san!" Chan exclaimed, jumping to his feet with new energy and running towards his comrade.

Sarada pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "I'm fine, Chan-kun." She gave him a sideways smirk. "I got this. You just rest for a minute." She turned to her father, and cracked her knuckles. "Now, where were we, papa?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, pulling out several shuriken. He tossed them at her, only for the star-shaped blades to embed themselves in a log. 'Where'd she go?' He thought, looking around.

"SHANNARO!"

A sharp blow caught him from behind. As he stumbled, Sarada made a grab for the bells, only for Sasuke to disappear in a puff of smoke.

Meanwhile, Boruto had just finished his tripwire. Jumping out of the tree, he formed the clone seal. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

About nine clones appeared around him. The original Boruto pointed at Sasuke. "You guys go help out Sarada and Chan! I'll help with the trap, since Sarada's busy!"

They all nodded, and ran towards Sasuke, who sweatdropped. "Like father, like son..."

"YOU'RE DEAD, SASUKE!" They all yelled. before barraging him with a flurry of punches and kicks.

Sarada, seizing the opportunity, ran over to Chan. She helped him to his feet. "Come on! Let's go over to Boruto-kun!"

Chan nodded, following her quickly, but inwardly wincing at every step.

At that point in time, Sarada wished she had the ability her mother had to use healing jutsu.

Boruto's clones were intelligent in their approach on Sasuke. They charged forward relentlessly, but each time one would vanish, another would be created to take its place. Finally, when Sarada and Chan were back with Boruto, and Sasuke was nearly in the trap, Boruto himself stood in front of the Uchiha. Dissipating his clones, he cracked his knuckles. "Now time for my ultimate jutsu, special for you, Sasuke!" He made a clone seal, then the ram seal.

Sasuke frowned. 'I know that jutsu...what was it...?'

"Orioke no Jutsu!"

Boruto vanished in a puff of smoke, a perfect, very pretty, very NAKED Sakura taking his place. "Mmm...Sasuke~kun...~chu!" "She" blew him a kiss.

Sasuke's eyes widened, and he felt a certain pressure in his nose, before staggering backward with a nosebleed. He tripped the near-invisible wire, causing a bucket of dirt to fall on his head. Chan took the opportunity to grab his sensei, force him roughly against a tree, and take the bells. "Guys! I got the-"

"YOU BAKA!"

"S-sarada-san! We're just doing the-"

"YOU IMPERSONATED MY MOTHER! MY. MOTHER! AND YOU MADE HER NAKED!"

"But it worked! Your dad-"

"SHUT UP!"

"GAH!"

Chan raised an eyebrow. "Erm..."

Sarada straightened her glasses as she held an arm behind Boruto's back. "Not. ONE. word."

The black-haired boy gulped, and watched the show.

"SHANNARO!"

"Sarada don't- OW!"

Boruto was knocked a clear twenty feet away in one punch. Sarada dusted her hands off. "Boruto-baka..." She muttered.

Chan walked over. "Sarada san, for you..." He handed her the bell.

The Uchiha heiress smiled. "Thanks, Chan."

"I'm going to go give Boruto his share." The boy said wiping the blood from his mouth.

Sarada looked down. "I'm...I'm sorry there can only be two..."

Chan smiled. "Hey, it's fine." He said, doing his father's "nice guy" pose. "My dad said it's youthful to share, even more so if it's in the generosity of your heart." He walked over to Boruto, who was foaming at the mouth. "Boruto-kun, here's your bell."

Boruto snapped out of his daze. "Eh?" He sat up. "Erm...thanks, Chan."

"Well done." Sasuke said, dusting himself off. "You all...Fail."

"WHAT?!" The trio exclaimed.

"B-but, we got the bells!" Boruto stammered.

"Hn. So you did. But you would sacrifice a friend in the process. As a result, all of you will be sent back to the academy for another year."

Sarada clenched her fists. "But papa, we followed the rules!"

Sasuke shot her a Sharingan-infused glare, making the young girl take a step back. "You three executed superb teamwork, yes. You followed the rules, yes. But you abandoned your teammate, Chan." He closed his eyes. "Those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum. Remember that." He looked up, the Sharingan gone. "As promised, those of you who received a bell will get the meal of your choice. What would you like, Boruto and Sarada?"

Boruto glanced at Chan. "...I want...curry. Really spicy curry."

Sarada, seeing his plan, nodded. "Curry, please."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. His daughter didn't normally like curry...remembering his own test with Kakashi, he easily figured out what they were up to. "Is that so?" He nodded. "Fine. I'll get you two some curry. But I'll need the three of yours' ninja headbands. To return to the Council, you see, while you're in the Academy."

Sadly, the trio took their hitai-ate from their brows and handed them over.

"Boruto, Sarada, tie up Chan. The condition was that he was to watch you eat."

Boruto and Sarada grabbed Chan and walked over to the wooden posts in the middle of the training grounds. "Sorry, Chan..." Boruto muttered...

Chan sighed. "It can't be helped."

~X~

Naruto watched as his son and Sasuke's daughter tied up Chan. He frowned. "That's not how I remember the test...the whole object of it was teamwork."

"Well, I'm not exactly like Kakashi, now am I?"

The Shichidaime Hokage spun around. "Sasuke!"

Sasuke smirked. "Don't worry about your kid. He passed, dobe."

"Er, what? You just said he failed!"

"He would have IF he was like we were back in our first days as Team 7." Sasuke stated. "More specifically, if he'd acted like you. If you'd won, you'd have shoved it in my face that you got to eat and I didn't."

Naruto frowned. "No I- wait...yeah, I would've. So, why are you here, teme?"

"What's Boruto's favorite ramen flavor?"

~X~

Chan saw Sasuke coming over the hill with a large box, and sighed. His stomach growled, and he couldn't even move his hand to try to calm it down.

Boruto looked at the box. "Why is that so...big?"

Sasuke set it down. "Because it has four lunches in it."

"Four? But you-"

"Untie Chan."

Sarada sprang to her feet and ran over to Chan, while Boruto tilted his head. "Why'd you get four lunches?"

Chan and Sarada walked over, similar questioning looks on their faces. "Yeah, why papa?"

"Congratulations." Sasuke said with a smile. "You all pass."

"HUH?!"

He walked up to Chan. "You were willing to sacrifice your place for your friends and go up against a foe you couldn't beat. You showed courage." He tied a shiny hitai-ate, one with a green band, around his forehead.

Chan reached up and touched the metal of the hitai-ate. It was polished, but it was the same metal, as proved by the scratch on it he'd gotten when he'd first taken a blow from his sensei. He bowed. "Thank you, Sasuke-sensei."

Sasuke then went to his daughter. "You planned out an attack well. Not only that, but you helped to execute it, as well as help your comrade when he needed it most. Then when you all failed, you purposely chose a meal only Chan would like, with the intent to give it to him. You showed integrity, selflessness, and wisdom." He tied a hitai-ate with a blue band around her forehead.

Sarada blushed at the attention, and bowed. "Thank you, papa..."

"And Boruto."

The blonde looked up.

Sasuke tied a hitai-ate with a red band around Boruto's forehead. "You set up a trap based on what you knew about your target. You cooperated, and managed well under stress. You used sheer numbers and chakra to overpower a tougher opponent, and were clever about doing so. You showed strength, intelligence, and power."

"Thanks, Sasuke..." Boruto said, a smile spreading on his face.

The Uchiha stepped back and crossed his arms. "Welcome to Team Seven. You are now the official subordinates of Uchiha Sasuke." He handed out three small white boxes. "You've earned these. Dig in." He said, pulling out his own box of rice balls and tomato sauce.

Smiling brightly, the three genin sat down, opening their boxes and eagerly looking inside.

Each box contained their favorite food. For Chan, it was spicy curry. For Sarada, it was anmitsu. For Boruto, it was ramen.

The trio grinned, broke their chopsticks, and held up their boxes.

"Itadakimasu!"

~X~

That night, a robed figure walked up to the gates. Udon and Moegi stood up at their post. "Oi! Identify yourself!" Udon shouted.

The figure chuckled. "Identify myself?" A feminine voice questioned with a mocking tone. "There's no need for that. I'm just here to pick up a...subordinate of mine." Pearly white eyes looked up at them, gleaming in the moonlight.

Moegi narrowed her eyes, pulling out a few shuriken, while Udon grabbed a kunai knife.

The stranger paused. "Did you really just draw your weapons? Foolish children. Such toys are meant for grown-ups."

The duo didn't even see it coming. The last thing they remembered before blacking out was a flash of tomato red.

Hours later, Konohamaru and Hanabi came to relieve Udon and Moegi of duty, only to find them knocked unconscious, their chakra points blocked around their vitals. No other damage was done, but the stranger had left no trace to follow.


	6. A Dangerous Mission!

Himawari walked into Yamanaka Flowers, the door ringing a bell as it opened. "Hello? Ino-san? Sai-san?"

Inojin snapped his head up from the counter he was cleaning. "H-Himawari!" He jumped over the counter. "What can I do for you?"

"I wanted to buy some sunflowers." She said, digging into her pockets and pulling out some coins. "For Uncle Neji-san's grave."

Inojin nodded and grabbed a pot of sunflowers. "Here you go!"

"Thank you, Inojin-kun!" She replied, putting the coins on the counter.

The blonde shook his head, pushing the coins back. "Keep it. It's my present, since you come here daily. And you can just call me Inojin, if you like."

Himawari smiled brightly, taking the money and sunflowers and bowing. "Thanks, Inojin."

"I-It was nothing." Inojin blushed lightly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Bye!"

"Bye..." He called, waving after her.

Footsteps sounded behind him. "Well, does my little boy have a crush, now?"

Inojin spun around. "GAH! MOM!"

Ino giggled. "I think it's sweet, Inojin." She said, patting his head. "And she's a nice girl. I approve."

"Ugh...mom..."

~X~

Himawari walked through the graveyard alone, carrying the pot of flowers. She knelt before Hyuuga Neji's grave. "Hey, Neji-san. It's me, Himawari. I'm sorry that I couldn't be here yesterday." She took down the wilting flowers from before, replacing them with the fresh vase. "I brought you some more sunflowers. Mom says you appreciate them." She looked up at the sky. "Yesterday, we had our genin exams. All my friends passed. I'm on a team with my cousin, Daisuke, and his best friend, Ryouta-kun. Boruto's with the Uchiha girl, Sarada, and Chan-kun. And of course, there's the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. Inojin's such a nice boy. He even gives me extra flowers to bring for you." She sighed. "I wish you didn't die...then you could teach me all sorts of stuff..."

"Who are you speaking to, child?"

Himawari looked up into the eyes of a woman. Her eyes were a soft, storm gray/blue, and her tomato-colored hair cascaded down her back. Himawari smiled, looking back at the grave. "This is where my uncle, Hyuuga Neji-san, was buried."

"Your uncle...?" The woman knelt beside her. "You don't look much like a Hyuuga girl."

Himawari giggled. "I suppose it's because only my mother is a Hyuuga. My father's an Uzumaki."

The woman stiffened slightly. "Your father's an Uzumaki...?"

"Yeah. Uzumaki Naruto, the Shichidaime Hokage."

"Naruto, eh...?" She stood up. "Tell me...this Neji. You wished to have known him?"

Himawari nodded. "Yeah. He's my role model. Mom, Aunt Himawari, and Grandpa Hiashi all said he was the best of his generation. I want to be just like him."

"I see." The woman turned to walk away. "...I hope your dream becomes a reality." She said, leaving the young girl.

~X~

"BORUTO!" Sarada banged on the door of the Uzumaki residence. "YOU BETTER GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE!"

The door opened, and the Uchiha prepared to give her blonde teammate the telling-off of his life.

"Oh, hey Sarada-san, dattebayo!"

Sarada gasped, then quickly bowed. "Hokage-sama! I apologize!"

Uzumaki Naruto laughed. "No problem. In fact, I was just about to ask your dad something. Mind if I walk with you back to your house?"

"But, Boruto-"

"Erm, he's...busy..."

Sarada blinked. "With what?"

~X~

"That's right!" Konohamaru scolded. "You'll clean ALL of it!"

Boruto groaned. He'd completely forgotten about the paint on the Hokage faces, and by allowing it to sit for two days, it had set into the stone, and was nearly impossible to remove.

Nearly.

And Konohamaru knew that.

~X~

Naruto knocked on the door of the Uchiha residence. "Sakura-chan! Sasuke-teme! I need to talk to you!"

The door opened. "Ah! Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed. "Sasuke-kun's inside." She looked down at her daughter. "Was Sarada bugging you?"

"Oh, no no, Sakura-chan!" Naruto said. "I was just walking her over here when I came to see Sasuke, dattebayo!"

"Oh, come right in, Hokage!"

Sasuke looked up as his daughter and former teammate walked through the door. "Naruto, what's up?"

The blonde shrugged. "Not much. Hey, I wanted to ask you something, dattebayo."

"Yeah?"

"How would you feel about taking your team on a B rank mission?"

Sasuke and Sakura both stared at the orange Hokage blankly before yelling at him. "ARE YOU INSANE?!"

Naruto jumped and ran behind Sarada. "Hey! Don't need to be so snappy! It's just a suggestion...remember our time in the Land of Waves? Against Zabuza and Haku?"

"Yes...I do...and I remember YOU TWO almost DYING on that mission!" Sakura shouted.

"It's not going to be that dangerous! I swear, dattebayo!"

Sarada, hearing this conversation, was nearly bursting with excitement. "Please, dad? Just hear the Hokage-sama out?"

[Inner Sarada]: YOSH! MY CHANCE TO SHINE!

Sakura's eye twitched.

[Inner Sakura]: OH, HELL NO! SHANNARO!

Sasuke sighed. "It...wouldn't hurt to listen..."

Naruto nodded. "Right! So, here's the mission. You guys are escorting the royal family of the Daiyamo of the Land of Earth to Iwagakure!"

"WHAT?!" Sakura and Sarada exploded at the same time, but for different reasons.

[Inner Sarada]: SHANNARO! YES!

[Inner Sakura]: SHANNARO! HELL NO!

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "I know full well of the amount of rouge ninja prowling the borders between Hi no Kuni and Tsuchi no Kuni..."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "But you'll be with them. You can protect Sarada-chan...unless..." He smirked. "You think you're a bad parent who can't defend his little girl...?"

Normally, Sarada would hate anyone that talked to her father that way, but she didn't for two reasons: One, because this was the Hokage, and two, because he sent a wink her way that told her that he was on her side.

Sasuke was silent. The Hokage shrugged. "Fine, suit yourself. I suppose Kiba would be better suited for the mission with his genin t-"

"We'll take it."

Sarada was about to burst with joy. "REALLY?!"

Sakura glared at her husband, who sighed. "Sakura, I'll be with them, and this is a good chance for Sarada to learn about other cultures. There's nobody like Zabuza out there. Trust me."

~X~

"Pack your things, Chan!"

Chan looked up and blinked. "Dad?"

Rock Lee grinned. "I just got word from the Hokage-sama. You're going to the Iwagakure for a week!"

"What?! Why?!" The young boy exclaimed. He was grinning ear to ear, but was nonetheless puzzled as to why the Hokage himself would send them on a decent mission with incredible pay. They hadn't even done any D-rank chores!

Lee ruffled his hair. "It probably has to do with the residual rivalry between Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun."

"Naruto?"

"The Hokage, Chan."

"You knew the Hokage?!"

Lee laughed. "Personally. As well as Kakashi-sama and Tsunade-sama. Here. I'll tell you about them as you pack."

~X~

Boruto was excited out of his wits. "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT, DATTEBASA! OUR FIRST MISSION IS A B-RANK?! OH MY FREAKING KAMI!"

Sarada and Chan winced, covering their ears. "Ow...Boruto-kun, cut it out..." Sarada muttered.

Sasuke arrived shortly after Boruto's little victory cheer. "Alright. You all have what you need?"

"Yep!"

"Yes, papa!"

"Of course!"

"Now remember." Sasuke said, looking each of them straight in the eye. "This is an escort mission for a royal family. You may have opportunities to see new things, but keep in mind that multiple assassins would kill the royal family- and YOU- on the spot. Keep your wits about you at all times."

"Yes sir!"

"The family's waiting at Kasai City. When we get there, I'll give you further instructions. Until then, just be on guard."

"Yes sir!"

"Let's go already, dattebasa!" Boruto yelled, running forward with the stamina of the Uzumaki clan.

Sasuke chuckled. At least he wouldn't have to worry about anyone falling behind.


	7. Lost in the City: Chan's Future Awaits!

"How much farther, papa?" Sarada asked. Her feet were beginning to hurt, and the sun was setting with no sign of the city they were supposed to pick up the royal family at.

Sasuke looked up at the sky. "It shouldn't be more than ten miles. We'll get there by nightfall. IF we move quickly."

"Where are we going to sleep?"

"Hosokawa Hotel."

Boruto grinned, hearing the conversation between the two Uchihas. "I hope they have good ramen!"

Sasuke sighed. Of course Naruto's son would think about ramen...

"I'm more interested in the safety of the place." Chan thought aloud. "Kasai city is right on the border between Hi no Kuni and Tsuchi no Kuni, and the whole city's shady from what I've heard..."

"We'll be fine, Chan." Sasuke reassured the young genin. "It's once we act as bodyguards that we'll really have to worry."

~X~

"Alright! Now I want a hundred laps around the training grounds!"

"Hai, Lee-sensei!"

Himawari walked into Team Lee's training grounds just as his team began their nightly cool-off exercises. Passing by her cousin, Kyo, she made her way over to Rock Lee. "Erm...excuse me, Rock-sama..."

Lee looked down at the Uzumaki and smiled. "Well, if it isn't Naruto-kun's youthful daughter! Call me Lee-san. What do you need, Himawari-chan?"

"I...I was wondering if I could talk to you in private."

Lee blinked in surprise. What could the black-haired girl need? "Sure. Meet me at my house after we're done training."

"Yes, sir!"

~X~

At long last, Team 7 made it to Kasai City. Sasuke looked around. Accurate to Chan's statement earlier, the city was full of suspicious individuals. He gripped the handle of his katana. "Boruto, Sarada, Chan...stay close to me. I don't want you getting hurt."

"But you said-" Boruto protested.

"I know what I said. It's for the three of yours' safety. Stay by me, or suffer the consequences."

"Yes, sir..."

As they walked, Chan reached into his pocket, keeping a firm grasp on his wallet. The last thing he wanted was to be pick-pocketed of the hard-earned ryo he'd saved back home.

"Hey, you! Young man!"

Chan turned around to see an old woman looking straight at him. "Me, ma'am?"

"Yes you. Come over here!"

"But I need to stay with my sensei!" He protested. Sasuke was already walking away.

The woman frowned. "This will only take a minute. Come here, boy!"

"Why?"

She smirked. "I am a teller of fortunes. I can predict the future of anything you desire. It will only cost you 500 ryo."

"500?" Chan thought it over. He had 90,000 ryo in his pocket, and would get much more once this mission was over. 500 was considerably cheap..."Alright, but you have to be quick about it."

"Yes, sir. Come this way!" She ducked into a violet tent, and Chan hesitantly followed.

As he entered, he found the tent to be much more pleasant than the dirty outside streets. For one, it was exceptionally clean. The woman had obviously taken great care to make sure her area was calm and inviting. He sat down at a chair across from the old lady. She held out her wrinkled hand. "Give me your hand, boy."

"I have to pay you first, don't I?" Chan questioned.

She chuckled. "Nonsense. What's the point in paying for something you haven't received yet?"

The genin smiled. This woman, though visually aged and coarse, definitely was a warm, youthful soul. He gave his hand to her, and she flipped it over, examining his palm. Making a one-handed seal, she uttered the words to a jutsu. "Genshutsu no Jutsu."

Suddenly, the lines on Chan's palm glowed a bright green. The boy stared. "Whoa...that's cool...!"

"Indeed, young man." The woman eyed the lines. "Hmm...I see...a young girl, with dark hair...she adores you, yet you don't realize it...I believe she possesses a kekkei genkai. I see many harsh battles ahead of you...and...a bitter end leading to a bright beginning." The lines faded, and she let him go.

Chan was confused. "A bitter end to a bright beginning...? What does that mean?"

The woman shrugged. "I merely say what the lines tell me. I don't know the details. Perhaps it's referring to death, perhaps not. That's for you to discover."

He gulped. 'Death...? Who knew my future was so...ominous...?' "Thank you, ma'am...I'll get your money right away." He dug into his wallet and pulled out a 500 ryo coin. Handing it over, he realized something else she said. 'A dark-haired girl adores me? But I don't know it?'

The woman smiled. "You're quite welcome, young man. Now, go catch up to your sensei. And be wary of those in blue robes!"

"Blue robes? Why?"

She frowned, lowering her voice. "Because the Yugure is not to be trifled with." Acting like she had said nothing about it, she shooed him away. "Run along, boy! You have places to be, no doubt!"

"Right! Bye!" He called, scampering out of the tent. He looked around the street. Panicking, he realized Sasuke, Boruto, and Sarada were nowhere in sight.

Great...

~X~

Himawari sat on the porch swing, waiting for Rock Lee. She nervously twiddled her thumbs.

Normally, Uzumakis were not nervous people. They faced everything head-on, often times not considering the consequences. Himawari was no exception to this rule. She wouldn't hesitate to punch Shikadai in front of the entire village if she had to. But anything that came to her crush...she was immensely bashful about.

Asking Lee for advice was giving her the jitters. Would he be able to help her...?

"Himawari-chan? Are you here?"

Himawari looked up. Lee was walking into his yard, looking around for her. She waved shyly. "Over here, Lee-san."

A grin lit up Lee's face, and in a flash, he was on the porch. "Himawari-chan!" He sat beside her. "So, what seems to be the problem?"

"I...I need some advice." The girl said, looking down at her feet.

"Advice?" Lee blinked in surprise. This wasn't what he'd expected from her. "For what?"

Himawari thought for a minute. She wanted to ask him without giving away who it was...or embarrassing herself too much. "Lee-san...what's the fastest way to a man's heart...?"

"Hmm...that's tough." Lee said, putting a hand to his chin. "I suppose it depends on which man it is. Who's the lucky receiver of my youthful sunflower's love?"

"U-Um..." Himawari's heart pounded. "I-I...uh..." Her cheeks turning dark red, she managed to squeak out. "C-Ch-Chan-k-kun..."

Lee stiffened. She liked his son...?! He looked her over, as if he could see her character through her appearance alone. 'Well...she DOES seem like a youthful sort...and she's certainly well kept...and she seems like her mother, and Hinata-san is definitely a trustworthy person...' "Alright, Himawari. I'll help you get my boy's attention." He said, his tone now stern. "But if I find you breaking his heart..."

"N-no! Never, Lee-san!" Himawari defended, putting her hands up. "I-I could never hurt Chan-kun!"

"Even so, you need to be careful. The heart is a fragile place, especially in boys his age."

"Y-yes, sir!"

~X~

Chan sneezed as he walked through the crowd. 'Heh, someone's talking about me.' He thought. 'I just hope it isn't Sasuke-sensei...THAT would be bad...'

"Oi! Kid! You, with the bushy eyebrows!"

Chan turned around, seeing a pair of men in blue robes walking towards him, neither of them with any apparent friendly intention. Thinking back to the old fortune teller's words, he gulped. 'The Yugure is not to be trifled with...oh crap...' Thinking on his feet, he ran, hoping to lose them in the crowd.

"There he goes! After him! He's one of the royal bodyguards!"

His heart pounding, Chan ran as fast as he could away from the two Yugure gang members. "Excuse me! Pardon me! I need to get through!" He kept shouting as he darted through the crowd. Eventually, he gave up on that. Focusing as much energy into his feet as he could, he leapt over the heads of the passers-by and onto the roof of a nearby building. He paused for a minute to catch his breath. Unfortunately, his stunt was noticed, and THREE Yugure members jumped up, surrounding him on all but one side. Losing no time, Chan darted away as fast as his legs would take him.

"Get back here kid!" They yelled, pulling out sabers.

'Why did I leave Sasuke-sensei?!' Chan criticized. 'I'm gonna die!' He jumped back down to ground level, only to find himself in a dead end. "Shit...!" He muttered, then chided himself for the use of unyouthful language. He didn't have much time to do so as the Yugure members jumped down in front of him, blocking all chances of escape he had.

One of them, no doubt the leader, stepped forward. "Alright, little boy. We know you're the royals' escort. Tell us where they are, or I'll wring your scrawny little neck."

Chan's eyes widened. "I-I don't know! I swear!"

"Lying gets you nowhere, punk. You should use your last minutes of life wisely."

The boy swallowed hard. Perhaps this was what the woman had meant by a bitter end? It certainly wasn't pleasant. Sweat rolled down his face, and he shook his head. "I promise you, I don't know where they are!"

The boss cracked his knuckles. "I warned you." In one fell swoop, he had the poor genin by the throat. Lifting him into the air, his grip tightened, and Chan felt himself unable to breath. "I'll show you what happens to little brats who tell lies."

Chan's face was beginning to turn blue, and he clawed at the fist around his neck, struggling to find some air as he slowly suffocated.

"You! Unhand my subordinate!"

There was the sound of metal meeting flesh, and Chan fell to the ground, hitting his head on a loose stone. He felt something wet drip down his face, smelling of copper, before he blacked out.

"Papa...! Chan's bleeding...!"


	8. Royal Escort: Confrontation!

"Hey, I think he's waking up!"

Chan groaned softly. 'Ow...my neck's sore...I'm so tired...'

"Chan-kun? Chan-kun, are you awake...?" An angelic voice called.

The boy slowly regained consciousness, sitting up and finding himself looking into a pair of worried charcoal eyes. "S-Sarada-san...?"

Suddenly, he was enveloped in warmth as feminine arms embraced him. Sarada hugged him tightly. "You're alright! I thought you'd had it!"

Chan's eyes widened. 'Sarada-san...was worried about me...?' Slowly, hesitantly, he brought his arms around her and hugged her back, taking great care not to hurt her- in his mind- delicate frame. "I'm fine...I promise, I'm alright..." 'Sarada-san's...hugging me...?!'

"You gave us a pretty good scare back there, dattebasa."

Chan turned to see Boruto sitting on the edge of the dresser, arms crossed. The blonde raised an eyebrow. "How'd you get cornered by those weird blue-robe people?"

"Yugure."

"Huh?"

Chan looked out the window. "They're a gang called Yugure, and they seem to be after the family we're protecting. I...got lost after visiting one of the tents...and then they started chasing me."

Sarada pulled away from him. "Tents?"

He nodded. "There was a fortune teller...she's the one who warned me about the Yugure."

"Well, when you were cornered, why didn't you fight back?!" Boruto demanded. "You're a ninja, for Kami's sakes!"

"I..." Chan looked down. "I don't know...It was a fight-or-flight situation, and all I could focus on was that it was three to one, and they had weapons."

"Oh, so you chickened out, dattebasa."

"Boruto!" Sarada scolded.

"What? He did."

"No, he didn't! He did the SENSIBLE thing! He chose not to engage in a losing battle! You remember how hard it was for papa to defeat those three! I'll bet they were between chuunin and jonin rank!"

As his teammates argued, Chan bit his lip. 'Boruto-kun's right...I am a coward...'

"Hey, you three!" The deep voice of their sensei called from the doorway of the hotel room. The trio snapped their heads up to see Sasuke, accompanied by a young woman and a four-year-old boy. Sasuke nodded towards Chan. "I see you're awake. Get some breakfast, and the three of you get ready to leave. We're escorting Lady Jun-sama and her son, Koyo, in an hour."

~X~

"So...Chan-kun likes curry?"

Lee nodded. "He likes it even spicier than I do, and considering how much I love spicy foods...that's saying something." Suddenly, a thought came to mind. "Hey! I have an idea! Why don't you make Chan some curry for when he returns from his mission?"

"You think he'd like it...?" Himawari asked.

Lee gave the "nice guy pose". "I know he will. Especially from a youthful soul like yours!"

~X~

It was decided. After a filling breakfast of bento from the local takeout restaurant, they would set off. One of the four shinobi would carry young Koyo on his or her back. The other three would guard Lady Jun-sama. Sasuke was currently sitting at a table with said lady, a map stretched out. He pointed to Kasai city. "Alright. So we're here. We have three options. We can cut through the Kusa no Kuni, stopping in Kusagakure. We could cut through Taki no Kuni and stop at Takigakure. Or we can tread along the borders between them. Which would you prefer, Jun-sama?"

Jun frowned. "I'm...not exactly comfortable with being in ninja villages other than Iwagakure...what if the Kusa-nin and Taki-nin were hired to go after little Koyo? I don't want anything to happen to my little boy..."

Sasuke nodded. He didn't take this as an insult to his ability- being a parent himself, he knew what Jun was thinking. "So, we'll tread along the border. Now, I have to warn you- even in this city, there are rouge nin. My subordinate was nearly strangled by a group of three."

Jun gasped. "My goodness! The poor child! Which one is he?" She glanced at the trio, who were currently entertaining her son with some ninja techniques. Boruto, in particular, was showing off his kage bunshin.

"The one in green, with the orange scarf. His name's Chan. He was cornered in an alleyway by three ex-Ame-nin, whom I dispatched."

"So..." Jun sighed. "The life of a ninja is full of dangers, isn't it?"

Sasuke nodded. "Indeed." He stood up, folding up the map. "Alright! Let's get going, you three!"

Sarada bent down at Koyo's level. "Alright, Koyo-chan! It's time to go! You get to have a piggyback-ride!"

"Reawy?!" Koyo exclaimed, before clapping his hands gleefully. "Yay! I want to go wif Channy!"

"...Channy?"

"Mmmhmm!" Koyo pointed to Chan. "Dat Channy!"

Chan raised an eyebrow. "Me? Why me?"

"Because you lookses funny!"

The green-garbed boy anime-fell, and Boruto and Sarada laughed.

~X~

"So, Danjuro, your pathetic organization has failed me." A woman said calmly, standing on the edge of a lookout tower for the leaf. Although her voice suggested patience, her eyes, pearly white, betrayed her frustration.

Danjuro, a rouge-Ame-nin disguised as a Leaf shinobi, knelt before her. "I'm sorry milady...Uchiha Sasuke showed up. He killed three of our men- Shoichi, Genjo, and-"

"You honestly think I care what Sasuke did to your underlings, Danjuro? If so, you are quite mistaken." The woman looked out at the forest of Konoha. "If I had been there, I would have run those three through myself. Your orders are to test the Uzumaki-Hyuuga hybrid, not to murder his subordinates. If they try to defend him, you may do as you wish, but do NOT pick them off one at a time."

"Y-yes, milady...we already have Iwa no Ichi sent after them..."

She sighed, tucking a strand of tomato-colored hair behind her ear. "Honestly, the people I hire as stand-ins...do you have the quarters prepared for my subordinate?"

Danjuro nodded. "It's been finished for two days."

"Good. I'll be back in three, then you are free to go."

~X~

Boruto looked around the terrain, and groaned. 'Rocks, stones, pebbles, rubble, sand...that's all there is to this place! I miss Konoha...'

'This place has so much history...!' Sarada thought excitedly. 'Think of all the battles fought here, all the ambush advantages the shinobi of the world wars would have! I bet if we dug a bit, we'd find katanas CENTURIES old, shannaro!'

Koyo, sitting on a pair of strong, green-covered shoulders, poked Chan's hair. "Channy?"

"Yes?"

"Whysis everyone so qwy-et?"

Chan shrugged. "Maybe it's because there's no topic of conversation."

Koyo paused for a bit. "...Channy?"

"Yes?"

"Whasa con-vi-say-shing?"

"A conversation is when youthful people like you and I talk about something we both know about." Chan replied.

Koyo crossed his arms. "...can we have a con-vi-say-shing 'bout ninja stuffs?"

The genin smiled. "Sure! What would you like to know about?"

"Um..." The little boy looked around. Spying something, he grinned. "Whatsa giant star-fingie dat ninjas spin dats weawwy big?"

There was a pause. "...that's a Fuuma shuriken..."

"Can I have one?"

"No! Of course not, Koyo!" Chan exclaimed, alarmed at such a request.

Koyo pouted. "But HE getses one!" He cried, pulling Chan's hair and pointing to a nearly-invisible ledge- on which, sure enough, a ninja was crouched, spinning an excessively large fuuma shuriken.

Chan's eyes widened. "SASUKE-SENSEI!"

Sasuke snapped his head up just in time to grab Jun and pull her out of the way of the giant blade. He drew his katana and a few kunai. He tossed the knives at the man, who evaded easily, jumping down in front of Boruto and Sarada. He was a burly man, with green eyes glaring at the blonde. "Are you Uzumaki Boruto?"

Boruto clenched his fists. "You bet I am! And who the hell are you?!"

The man chuckled. "My name is Iwa no Ichi. And the royals..." He licked his lips. "Are as good as dead." He growled, shooting a look the young prince's way.

Koyo squeaked in fear, clinging tightly to his ride.


	9. The Oath of Pain

Ichi smirked menacingly, looking down on the three genin and their sensei. He chuckled. "These are the wimps she wants me to take down? Please. I thought she said this was S-ranked. Not C-ranked."

Boruto clenched his fists. "You take that back!"

"Why should I?" Ichi mocked. "You're all just children! Even your sensei looks weak!"

Sasuke growled under his breath. Turning to Jun, he whispered in a hushed voice. "Lady Jun-sama, stay near me. If I come into conflict with this man, you run. Understood?"

"Ah...y-yes..."

"Chan!"

Chan looked at his sensei. "Yes, sir!'

"Keep the boy safe at all costs."

"Understood, sir!"

Ichi laughed. "This is the best the village of the Leaf could offer? Pathetic!" He crossed his arms and turned away. "I almost feel bad for having to crush you weaklings. You children should just go home and spare yourself the pain."

"C...children...?" Boruto muttered.

"You know, you're the sorriest bunch of 'ninja' I've ever seen! They say that ninja are a reflection of their village, just like children are a reflection of their parents." Ichi's eyes narrowed. "Does that mean the Hokage's a loser too?"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!"

Ichi's eyes widened in shock as the blonde leapt forward, punching him square in the chest. He staggered back in surprise.

Boruto glared, murder shining in his eyes. "Nobody...NOBODY TALKS ABOUT MY DAD THAT WAY!" He made a clone seal. "KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!"

Four copies of the boy appeared beside him.

"Kage bunshin, eh?" Ichi smirked, taking his ono battle-axe from his back. "Doesn't matter how many of you there are. You're still weak."

"Oh yeah?!" They chorused. "Why don't you come see for yourself, dattebasa?!"

"Gladly."

Ichi ran forward, and the kage bunshin went to meet him in the middle. He swung his axe down. "How do you like this?!" He shouted, slicing through two of them easily.

Boruto dug into his pockets, feeling for his weapons. 'Three kunai, two shuriken...gotta make 'em count...'

The two remaining shadow clones looked at each other, and nodded. One of them bent down, and the other ran forward, jumping off his back and leaping high into the air. "Take this!" He shouted, slamming his foot down on Ichi's head.

The rouge ninja grabbed the Boruto clone by the foot and threw him at the other, causing them both to dissipate.

Suddenly, pain shot through Ichi's back. He turned to see that the original Boruto had thrown two shuriken into his shoulder blades, using the clones as a distraction. "Why you little-" He spun around, swinging his ono.

"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"

A huge ball of fire came between Boruto and Ichi, causing the latter to leap backward. Sarada ran over to Boruto. "Be more careful, baka." She muttered. "One more inch, and you'd be dead."

"I can handle it, Sarada!" The blonde snapped. "Stay out of it!"

Sarada smirked, pushing her glasses upward. "We're a team for a reason...loser."

"LOSER?!"

Ichi chuckled. "A fire-type chakra user, eh? This'll be fun..."

"SHUT UP!" Boruto shouted, drawing a kunai, only for Sarada to grab his wrist.

The young Uchiha looked at him sideways. "Cool it, baka."

"BAKA?!"

"Wanna prove me wrong?" She let him go. "Do something other than run at him head-on...or is that all you can do?"

Boruto glared at her. "Why you...!"

Ichi laughed, drawing the two genins' attention. "Squabbling like this in the middle of a fight Aren't you mature?"

The blonde jerked away from Sarada, turning towards his attacker. "Are you trying to tick me off?!" He brought his hands together. "Futon: Reppusho!"

A strong gust of air was shot at the rouge, but he stood his ground. He made four lightning-fast seals. "Doton: Doryuheki!" A wall of earth came up, effectively blocking Boruto's wind attack.

Sarada narrowed her eyes. 'Earth-type chakra? Fire won't do much against that...'

"HYAAH!"

The Uchiha shoved Boruto out of the way, the two of them hitting the ground inches from where Ichi's ono landed, embedding itself in the ground. Boruto shoved his teammate off of him. "You're mine now!" He shouted. Whipping out a kunai, he made the monkey seal "saru". "Futon: Kyofu no Kunai!" Wind swirled around the kunai, and he plunged it into Ichi's shoulder.

The rogue winced in pain before punching the boy, sending him flying into the rock wall.

"Boruto!" Sarada shouted.

Boruto picked himself up, and smirked, wiping the blood from his mouth. "I'm fine, Sara-" He was cut off as he collapsed, beginning to cough up blood.

The Uchiha's eyes widened in shock, then narrowed as she turned towards the rogue. "You-!" She kicked him in the gut. "Are-!" She punched his face. "SO-!" She smacked him. "DEAD!" She made three handseals. "Katon: Gyokaku no Jutsu!" She yelled, spitting out a huge stream of fire. "NOBODY HITS BORUTO-BAKA BUT ME!"

The man was engulfed in flames, the blaze obscuring every inch of him from view. When the flames dissipated, Ichi was gone.

"Sarada-san, you did it!" Chan cheered from the sidelines.

Sarada shook her head. "...no...my flames aren't powerful enough to incinerate him...there should still be a smoldering carcass..."

Suddenly, a voice echoed through the area. "Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu!"

Sasuke's eyes widened. 'That's the move Kakashi used on me at my genin exam...!' "SARADA!"

Sarada looked at her father, only for a hand to grab her ankle. She screamed as she was pulled down into the ground, only her head being kept above for air. Ichi leapt out of the ground, grinning as he pulled back his axe for a strike. "I love seeing victims' faces before their heads roll."

Sarada closed her eyes. 'Please, let it be quick...' She prayed, hoping Kami would listen.

"NOW DIE!"

Rather than the splitting pain she expected to feel, there was the sound of metal on metal. The young Uchiha opened her eyes.

"Nobody...touches...my...daughter..." Sasuke growled.

Ichi staggered backward, eyes wide in shock.

A pair of eyes, one a red and black six-point star Sharingan, the other a tomoed Rinnegan, glared murderously back at him.


	10. Sasuke: Sharingan Warrior

Ichi took a step back. "Who the hell are you...?"

"I'm the sole survivor of the Uchiha clan massacre." Sasuke said, gripping his katana tightly. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke. Your final opponent."

The rogue smirked. "An Uchiha, eh?" He licked his lips. "What a rare opportunity."

Sasuke made a one-handed seal with his free hand, and slammed the ground, freeing Sarada from Ichi's trap. "Sarada, take Boruto and run!"

"But papa-"

"WHAT THE FUCK DID I JUST SAY?! GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!"

Sarada nodded and ran over to her fallen comrade, slinging his arm over her shoulder and grabbing his waist, before jumping to the top of the cliff and running out of sight.

"CHAN!" The Uchiha barked.

"Yes sir!"

"Take Koyo and Lady Jun-sama as far away as you can! Run to Takigakure!"

Chan nodded, running over to Jun with her son still seated on his back. "My lady, we must leave."

Jun glanced at Sasuke. "But Sasuke-"

"Sasuke-sensei can take care of himself. Right now my orders are to take you and Koyo-chan to safety." Without waiting for the woman's response, the green-garbed ninja took her hand and ran down the dusty road, pulling her along with him.

Ichi chuckled darkly. "What's wrong, Uchiha? Didn't want your team to see you die?"

"On the contrary." Sasuke replied coolly. "I don't want to tarnish their young, innocent minds with the sight of your mangled carcass when I'm through with you." He smirked. "I'll give you three chances to save yourself. This is the first."

The rogue growled, clenching his fists. "You DARE talk down to me like I'm less that you are?!" He swung his ono into the ground, creating a tremor, but Sasuke remained unfazed.

"You're at your second chance."

Ichi, hands now unoccupied, made a tiger seal. "Doton: Doryu Taiga!"

The earth beneath Sasuke's feet turned to mud, shooting up at him and knocking him back several feet. Steadying himself, he skidded backward through the mud, maintaining his balance, then held his katana in front of him. "Last chance. Go home. Live to see another day. Or die by my hand. The choice is yours."

The rogue nin growled. "Don't talk down to me like that, Uchiha! I'll make your death painful and long, until you're begging for life!" He slammed his hands into the ground. Doton Kekkai: Doro Domo!"

A large, stone dome formed around the Uchiha, completely encasing him. Ichi smirked. "Take that! The Uchiha clan's fire jutsu won't put a dent in my Earth Dome! You'll just cook yourself alive if you try!" He chuckled. "I'll enjoy watching you suffocate and beg in despair."

Sasuke's voice was heard through the dome. "I warned you, Iwa no Ichi. Three times."

"Ha! As if you could break through my dome with your pathetic fire jutsu."

There was a pause. Simply a few short seconds of silence. Then, the voice of the Uchiha sounded clear.

"CHIDORI!"

A hole was blasted in the wall of the dome, effectively shattering it. Sasuke stepped out of the rubble, a chidori still flashing in his hand.

"My last advice to you- run."

It began to rain.

~X~

Sarada set her teammate down on the ground, taking her hand and wiping away the blood from his mouth. "Boruto...you baka." She muttered. "You just had to get hurt, didn't you?"

Boruto's chest rose and fell laboriously as he slept. The blow had no doubt caused internal bleeding. Sarada gently took off his black jacket, then carefully cut a line in his shirt leaving his chest bare. She blushed, but shook it off. 'No.' She mentally chided. 'I don't have time for this.' She ran her hand along his rib cage, coming across two sharp points. "Broken..." She mumbled.

Rain began to pour down around them, causing the injured boy to shiver lightly. Sarada gingerly felt around the broken ends. 'From what I can tell, they're both clean breaks. Damn it, I wish mama was here...' Taking her thumbs, she pushed one end of the bone away from the other, until it snapped back down into its correct position. Boruto awoke with a gasp. The young Uchiha sighed. "I wish you'd stayed asleep..."

"What...happened?" He murmured.

Sarada pushed the bone so that it fit with the other, causing the blonde to wince. "Ichi punched you in the ribs, and you hit the cliff wall. Two of your ribs are broken." She moved to set the second bone. "Your breathing isn't too bad, so your lung's probably not punctured. But I'm sure that there's some internal bleeding in there." The bone was quickly moved into place, making Boruto yelp in pain. "Papa had me take you to safety, and told Chan to run with the royals."

Boruto looked angry for a second, then sad. He sighed "I guess I'm not that strong after all, huh...?" He whispered, closing his eyes.

"Of course you are, Boruto-kun!" Sarada shouted. "Everyone gets hurt in battle! And this was your first fight ever!" She grabbed his hand. "Believe me, you were strong back there. Hardheaded and rash, but strong. I doubt either me or Chan-kun could have made the impact you did."

The blonde ninja smiled, reaching up and putting a hand on her shouder. "Thank you, Sarada...even if you ARE a baka sometimes, you're still a great friend to have."

Sarada's eyes widened. 'I'm...his friend...?' She smiled back. "Let's get your jacket back on. You look cold."

She sat him up, grabbing his jacket and putting it back on her comrade. "Thanks..." He said, shivering.

"It's nothing."

Boruto laid back down. "Sarada...I'm still kinda cold...you are too, right?"

"Yeah, a little."

"Well...wouldn't it work well for both of us...if we kept each other warm for now?"

Sarada stared at him. "You want...what?"

"N-Never mind..." Boruto looked away. "It was a stupid question. Sorry." He closed his eyes.

There was an awkward silence for about a minute. Suddenly, the Hokage's son felt something warm beside him. He opened his eyes to see Sarada laying by him. She smiled at him, adjusting her glasses. "I'll help you stay warm if you'd like..."

Boruto grinned, bringing his arm around her and holding her close. "Thanks, Sarada."

"...don't expect this to happen again, baka."

"I won't, I won't..."

~X~

Sasuke charged at Ichi, chidori in hand. "Now, die!"

Ichi narrowly dodged the chidori's blast, jumping away from Sasuke. 'What the hell is he?!'

"You won't escape." Sasuke growled. He glared sharply, and his Sharingan glowed. "Amaterasu!"

Black flames appeared out of nowhere, engulfing the rogue and burning him. Ichi screamed in pain, falling from his perch. Sasuke walked over, his right eye now bleeding. "I told you you would die by my hand."

"P-please...! I beg of you, have m-mercy!"

The Uchiha chuckled darkly. "You should have taken your opportunity to run earlier. You nearly killed my daughter, and now you'll pay the price." He charged up his hand with chidori. "When you get to hell, say hi to Orochimaru for me. CHIDORI!" And with that, he punched the chidori directly into Ichi's face. The rogue didn't even have the time to give a final cry as his life left him.

Sasuke withdrew his hand, and both the chidori and the amaterasu flames dissipated. What was left of Ichi was unrecognizable. He was covered in black, charred skin, which flaked and peeled showing cooked muscle underneath. His face was a mutilated mass of burnt flesh, and the blood that had seeped out of him was quickly turning a rancid brown.

Sasuke sheathed his katana, turning away from the gruesome sight. "I told you not to mess with me. The Uchiha clan...are not to be trifled with."


	11. The Forest of Chakra

"What the hell...?"

Sarada opened her eyes to see her father, Sasuke, staring down at her. She blinked twice, before looking to her side and seeing Boruto sleeping, snuggling with her. Her cheeks turned a bright shade of red. "Papa, it's not what it looks like!" She said, squirming away from the boy and standing up.

"Oh really?" Sasuke crossed his arms. "Do tell what happened."

Stumbling over her words, the Uchiha heir explained what had happened over the course of her escape. "You see, we left and he woke up because I hurt him- er, I didn't mean to, I just had to fix his ribs, cause that guy broke them- you know, when he slammed him into the wall- and so I had to fix it but I don't know any medical jutsus like mama so I had to set the bone so I took off his jacket and cut off his shirt and then I set the bone and he woke up and said he was cold so I gave him his jacket back but it was raining and we were both cold and neither of us wanted hypothermia!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. He'd been around Sakura long enough to understand panic-talk. "So, you left, he had some broken ribs from when Iwa no Ichi slammed him into the cliff, so you removed his jacket, cut off his shirt, and set the bone. The pain made him wake up, and he complained of being cold, so you gave him his jacket, but that wasn't enough to keep either of you warm, thus the current situation. Am I wrong?"

Sarada shook her head quickly. "No, papa! You got it!" She paused, her plight with her father momentarily forgotten. "Papa...is your eye bleeding?"

"Huh?" The elder Uchiha brought a hand to his cheek, feeling a sticky wetness. "Must've happened when I used that jutsu..."

"What jutsu?"

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with." He said, wiping the blood from his cheek. Walking over to Boruto, he frowned. 'I can't have him overexerting himself. And he'd protest if I woke him up beforehand.' He picked the young boy up in his arms, and turned to his daughter. "Come on, Sarada. We need to catch up to Chan and they royals. And get this kid a doctor."

"Yes, papa!"

~X~

Chan walked up to the gates of Takigakure, the terrified child still clinging to his back, with Jun looking around nervously. The sentry raised an eyebrow as they approached. "A Konoha-nin, eh? State your business."

Chan bowed his head lightly so as not to unbalance Koyo. "My name is Rock Chan. My team and I were sent to escort the lovely lady Jun-sama and her son, prince Koyo-chan, to Iwagakure, but we ran into some trouble. My sensei, Uchiha Sasuke, instructed us to flee here for safety. I'm aware that Konohagakure is allies with Takigakure, so there should be no trouble with us staying until my sensei returns, yes?" He said, trying to sound as professional as possible.

The ninja crossed his arms. "Do I have any proof that you actually ARE a ninja from Konoha?"

"Perhaps you've heard of my father?" Chan suggested. "Rock Lee, the beautiful green beast of Konoha? He only excels in taijutsu, yet it's so strong that he's a jonin."

"Yeah, I've heard of him. What about him?"

"He and I have the same eyebrows." He said, pointing to the two think black brows above his eyes. "And he, Gai-sensei, and I are the only ones who can do this." He gave a thumbs-up, smiling with a sparkle to his teeth.

The ninja sighed. "Good enough for me. Try not to break anything while you're in there."

"Yes, sir! Come on, Lady Jun-sama. I've heard Taki has good food, and you must be famished!"

"I am a bit hungry..." Jun murmured, allowing her mind to drift from the thought of Sasuke dying at the hands of that terrible man.

~X~

A falcon flew into the office of the Orange Hokage, landing on the blonde's desk. Naruto looked up from his paperwork. "Huh?" He checked the tag. "Kirigakure?" Taking the note, he read through it, eyes widening as he scanned the contents.

"Their turn already...?"

~X~

Some time later, Sasuke ran to the front gates, Boruto still asleep in his arms. Running up to the guard, he stopped. "Excuse me. One of my students passed through here with a woman and a child. Have you seen him?"

The ninja eyed him up and down. "...what happened to you?"

"Answer the question."

"Yeah, I saw him. Rock Lee's boy. Again, what happened to you?"

Sarada came up beside her father. "We were ambushed by a rogue!" She volunteered.

"Yes." Sasuke agreed. "Where's your village's hospital? The boy here has some broken ribs from the fight. Earth-style attacks."

The guard turned and pointed to a tall building relatively close by. "Right there, next to the Taki chief's office. Go straight down this road, and you can't miss it."

"Thank you!" The both replied, before running into the village.

The guard sighed. "Of all the days I had to be on duty, I get the one with the whackjobs from the leaf..."

~X~

"He'll be fine." Fumikoto said, smiling down at the sleeping blonde as she finished healing the rest of his injuries.

"That's a relief..." Sarada whispered, making her father eye her oddly. He'd have to question her "relations" with the dobe's son later... "So, when will he be up and ready?" The young girl questioned.

"Whatever time he wakes up."

"Good." Sasuke said. "When he does, tell him to meet us at the gates." He grabbed his daughter's hand, and walked out.

"Where are we going, papa?"

"To find Chan, Koyo, and Lady Jun-sama."

~X~

They DID eventually find the trio, eating at the best restaurant in town. Chan, being the gentleman he was, paid for the meal out of his own pocket, despite protests from the woman he was escorting. "No, ma'am. I shouldn't make a lady pay for a meal she didn't ask for. Besides, I have more than enough to cover the costs."

Sarada stared at them from the doorway of the restaurant. "...Chan-kun?"

Chan's gaze snapped in hers and her father's direction. "Sarada-san! Sasuke-sensei! Would you like to join us for a meal?" He asked, but his eyes showed clear worry, which Sasuke could easily read: 'Where's Boruto? You're alright? And what of our attacker?'.

"No, Chan." The elder Uchiha said. "We need to be leaving now. We should be in Iwa by nightfall if we're fast enough." He gave a nod, essentially affirming that everything was fine.

Chan breathed a silent sigh of relief, before leaving his money on the table and standing up. "Come, milady, Koyo-chan. We need to be going."

The woman nodded, scooping up her son with a smile on her face, relieved that Sasuke was alright. She hated it when people put their lives on the line for her, and the guilt that he might have died for her sake had been eating away at her for quite some time.

The five people left the restaurant, walking to the gates of the town, where, sure enough, Boruto was leaning against the wall, looking VERY irritated. As soon as Sasuke came into sight, the Uzumaki started shouting off a barage of complains.

"What the hell was that?! How did we get here?! I CAN walk, you know! My ribs don't affect my legs! And you didn't even have the decency to wait for me?! The nurse said you left and told me to got to the gate, dattebasa!"

Sasuke sighed. 'Like father, like son...' "Boruto, I had to retrieve Chan, Koyo, and Lady Jun-sama."

"Still! You couldn't have waited a LITTLE BIT?! I've been here for two hours! TWO. HOURS! And you JUST showed up, dattebasa!"

"SHUT THE HELL UP, BAKA!" Sarada shouted, punching him in the gut. "YOU AREN'T THE ONLY DAMN IMPORTANT THING IN THIS WORLD!"

"Sarada, language." Sasuke scolded.

"Sorry papa..." Sarada apologized meekly.

The team leader put a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "I'm sorry, but we had other things to take care of. Now, as I told Chan and Sarada earlier, if we hurry, we can complete the mission by nightfall. The faster we're done, the faster we can get home."

Boruto sighed, but nodded. "Yes, sensei..."

~X~

"Thank you so much for escorting my wife and child here!" The Daiyamo of Tsuchi no Kuni said, two Iwa-nin by his side.

Sasuke bowed politely. "It was no trouble at all, my lord. Once we've received payment from Iwagakure, we'll return to our village."

"Nonsense. I'll be paying you." The Daiyamo replied. One of the Iwa-nin stepped forward, handing the Uchiha a metal box.

Sasuke opened it, his eyes going wide. "My lord, this is too much...this is four times the amount we were to be paid!"

The Daiyamo chuckled. "No price is too high for the safety of my beloved Jun and sweet little Koyo. I cannot thank you enough for such a job well done."

Sasuke closed the box, bowing once more. "Thank you, my lord. I'll be taking my leave now." He turned around, where the three anxious genin were spying in the doorway. He smiled, walking up to them. "The original price? That's what we're paid. Each."

The children looked at each other excitedly. "REALLY?!"

"Really. Now, let's be going. We'll get to the border to Hi no Kuni, then camp in the forest for the night. I'll distribute the money once we're back in Konoha."

~X~

That night, four shinobi sat around a campfire, all very pleased with themselves. Boruto was thinking of all the places he could take his sister with the new money he'd acquired. Sarada was thinking of the books she could purchase with her share. Chan was sure he'd save most, but he wanted to buy a little pet for himself.

Sasuke, although more than satisfied with that day's work, had other plans- plans that didn't involve money. "Boruto, Sarada, Chan."

"Yes sir?" They chorused.

"I have a bit of training I'd like you to do."

Sarada looked at her father curiously. "What sort of training?"

"Chakra control." The Uchiha jonin replied.

The genin looked at each other, unsure.

"Watch." Sasuke said, and their gazes turned back to him. He stood up, walking over to a tree, and seemingly defied nature itself by walking up it. He turned to look at them. "I want you all to practice this for as long as you're able to. Focus your chakra into your feet, and try to keep balance on the tree's bark. When you've made it to the top, you can have dinner."

"WHAT?!"

~X~

~Cultivate your hunger before you idealize~

~Motivate your anger, to make them all realize~

~Climbing the mountain; never coming down~

~Break into the contents, never falling down~

~My knees are still shaking like I was twelve~

~Sneaking out the classroom by the back door~

~A man railed at me twice though, but I didn't care~

~Waiting is wasting for people like me~

~Don't try to live so wise~

~Don't cry 'cause you're so right~

~Don't dry with fakes or fears~

~'Cause you will hate yourself in the end~

~Don't try to live so wise~

~Don't cry 'cause you're so right~

~Don't dry with fakes or fears~

~'Cause you will hate yourself in the end~

~X~

E~N~D

-Coming Soon in Volume Two-

"ARE YOU ALL CRAZY?!" Naruto exclaimed, slamming his hands on the desk.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I don't see what the problem is, dobe. We all entered as rookies. Except for Lee here."

Lee crossed his arms. "My students are more than capable to take on the challanges of the exams!" He said. "Kyo, Yuka, and Kenji have been anticipating this moment for a whole year!"

"The Ino-Shika-Cho trio's working well." Hisha said. "When Anko's not around to distract Chocho, that is."

"Oi, Naruto-kun, you want to see your daughter excel, right?" Kiba asked.

"Of course I do!" The Orange Hokage shouted. "What I DON'T want is her to be in danger! AWAY FROM THE VILLAGE, NO LESS!"

"She has Ryouta and Daisuke with her! She'll be fine! She's a genius, you know; the epitome of a skilled kunoichi!"

"Boruto, Sarada, and Chan have grown nicely as well." Sasuke added. "They've all got sufficient chakra control- heck, they managed to master walking on water already!"

Naruto sighed, putting his face in his hands.

"...fine...let them take the Chuunin Exams..."


End file.
